Main menu

The Tesla Model 3 is the company's first approach at a mass-market vehicle.

Musk counters Model 3 ‘handbuilt’ claims with a production line video

Tesla CEO took to Instagram to refute claims of handbuilding the Model 3

October 10, 2017

Share

Facebook

Tweet

Pinterest

Email

Last week, the Wall Street Journal reported that parts of the mass-production-spec Tesla Model 3 were in fact being built by hand, partly explaining the Model 3 sedan’s glacially slow production pace. According to Tesla CEO Elon Musk, that isn’t the case.

Musk turned to Instagram, the social media site optimized for pictures of your friends at the beach and documenting your favorite brunch order, to refute those claims. The video shows a slowed Model 3 production line. The automated welding system is reportedly running at one-tenth of its normal pace to confirm build consistency.

While the video shows that there is, in fact, a Model 3 production line, it doesn’t show more than a single part of the line functioning ... slowly. The rest of the car’s production, such as its final assembly, was not captured by Musk’s Instagram post.

Tesla told Jalopnik that its production lines feature both “manual and automated processes.” That means there are humans interacting with the car production -- not exactly breaking news as most manufacturing requires some human intervention. Regardless, the Model 3 is still on its way to meeting production requirements despite being over 80 percent off Tesla's 1,500-car target for the third quarter.